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Obama's gun actions bring U.S. in line with Colorado

By Mitchell Byars

Staff Writer

Posted:
01/05/2016 05:12:05 PM MST

Updated:
01/05/2016 08:17:16 PM MST

Bill Karnok, left, of Grandpa's Pawn Shop in Longmont, discusses a firearm with Brian Hirak, a private investigator. Gun sales were robust nationwide on Tuesday after President Barack Obama announced stricter regulations for private gun sales. Law enforcement officials said these federal rules merely bring the rest of the country up to par with Colorado, which already required background checks on all private sales. (Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer)

President Barack Obama announced stricter regulation of private gun sales in a press conference Tuesday. While discussing the young victims of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., he paused to wipe away tears. (Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer)

President Barack Obama announced a series of measures designed to curb gun violence in the U.S., but local law enforcement officials said the new measures will have little effect in Colorado, which already requires background checks on all private gun sales.

The centerpiece of Obama's plan would broaden the definition of gun dealers to expand the number of gun sales subject to background checks. Under current law, gun shows, websites and flea markets can skirt those requirements by declining to register as licensed dealers.

The new measure would deem anyone "in the business" of selling guns to be a dealer, regardless of where he or she sells the guns. To that end, the government will consider other factors, including how many guns a person sells, how frequently, and whether those guns are sold for profit.

But legislation enacted in 2013, in the wake of the Aurora movie theater shooting, already requires background checks for all private gun sales in Colorado, so Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said Obama's announcement will have little effect on Coloradans. "We're already doing what he's proposing," Pelle said.

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His counterpart in Weld County, Sheriff Steve Reams, offered a different take on his Facebook page Tuesday.

“I encourage you all to read the President’s orders and try to make sense of how any of these steps will help to keep criminals from acquiring guns illegally,” he wrote. “While some points may have a degree of validity, the details of how any of these points will be enacted should raise many more questions.”

Reaction to the president's actions was swift and mostly partisan, and mostly focused on Obama's methods rather than the measures themselves. U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican whose district includes Longmont, responded with anger. “The President's latest executive action violates the Constitutional mandate that Congress create the laws while the President only enforces them,” Buck said in a statement. “Which amendment in the Bill of Rights will be tossed to the wolves tomorrow?”

Across the county and the aisle, Democrat U.S. Rep. Jared Polis defended the president and attacked the GOP's refusal to act on "common sense steps to enforce our existing laws."

"The President today used his existing authority to clarify background check requirements, improve research on firearm safety, and track guns that are lost or stolen – many of which end up in the hands of criminals," said Polis in a statement. "These actions are consistent with protecting the right of American citizens to bear arms and will help ensure the rights of lawful gun owners and enthusiasts are not violated."

Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett said the measures would open up more resources for the federal government to process the background checks, but agreed that Colorado's existing laws would overlap with the new federal ones.

"I don't anticipate a huge impact locally," Garnett said. "We have some pretty good tools in the law already. Now we have to make sure we enforce them."

Garnett has already made enforcing existing laws surrounding background checks a priority for his office in 2016. He also agreed law enforcement should be focusing on the existing laws.

"If they would enforce the laws already on the books it would be great," said Christopher Lewis, a manager at Grandpa's Gun and Pawn in Longmont. "It's interesting. It's like they refuse to enforce the laws on the books so they can write more laws."

Lewis also said that while he agrees that gun shows and other private sales should have the same background check requirements as stores like Grandpa's, he didn't agree with Obama using executive action to pass the measures.

"These things need to happen in Congress," Lewis said. "It's not the law I'm against, it's just his way of passing them."

While he agrees Congress needs to also take action, Garnett said he applauded Obama's actions because it will at least prompt more discussion and about gun control.

"Guns are an issue that people have strong passions and issues about," Garnett said. "I don't know anyone who doesn't support the Second Amendment, and I support it too. The issue is, as with every other constitutional right, is what are the reasonable limitations that need to be put on the Second Amendment so that we can maintain a safe and civil society as Americans."

Bill Karnok, right, of Grandpa's Pawn Shop in Longmont with Shane Angelovich, a customer. Gun sales were robust nationwide on Tuesday after President Barack Obama announced stricter regulations for private gun sales. Law enforcement officials said these federal rules merely bring the rest of the country up to par with Colorado, which already required background checks on all private sales. (Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer)

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